We all know exercise is good for your physical health, but did you know that consistent exercise is proven to have significant benefits for your mental health too? Regular exercise can help serious mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, among others. But how does that happen? What kind of exercises should we be doing to achieve these benefits? How much exercise does it take to get these results?
Mental health issues affect people regardless of culture, race, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation with nearly one in five American adults experiencing a mental illness at some point in their life, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). It’s key to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health and should be treated with an equally high priority. There is no shame in being proactive and seeking help.
One of the major physical impacts of stress on the body is the risk of unhealthy weight gain. This often occurs when stress begins to build and we begin to feel overwhelmed and end up overlooking our personal health. Stress can make us feel out of control, so we’ll often neglect eating healthy or we will eat unnecessary amounts of food in order to fill emotional gaps caused by stress. Gaining weight in addition to the stress your body is dealing with can be frustrating and put you at risk for serious health problems. Luckily, there are small things you can do in order to avoid stress-related weight gain.
[avatar user=”dponieman” size=”thumbnail” align=”left” link=”http://www.acppps.org/who-we-are/diego-a-ponieman/”]By: Diego Ponieman, M.D. M.P.H.[/avatar] Have you noticed you’re more anxious or moody in the winter months? Do you find you have lower energy, a bigger appetite, or tend to pack on a couple of extra pounds around this time of year? As we just recently turned our clocks back
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[avatar user=”dponieman” size=”thumbnail” align=”left” link=”http://www.acppps.org/who-we-are/diego-a-ponieman/”]Por: Diego Ponieman, M.D. M.P.H.[/avatar] ¿Ha notado que durante el invierno siente más ansiedad y cambios de temperamento? ¿Se ha sentido con menos energía, más apetito y una tendencia a engordar un par de kilos durante esta estación? Con el cambio de hora y los ajustes que requiere la llegada del
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[avatar user=”doller” size=”thumbnail” align=”left” link=”http://www.acppps.org/who-we-are/denisse-oller”]By: Denisse Oller[/avatar] I did not see my family, as I had hoped to. At midday in San Juan, it might as well have been dusk. The sky turned from bright blue to dark gray in a matter of seconds, and heavy rain poured like it was on fire. I had just
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[avatar user=”doller” size=”thumbnail” align=”left” link=”http://www.acppps.org/who-we-are/denisse-oller”]By: Denisse Oller[/avatar] Tenía la esperanza de ver a mi familia, pero me fue imposible. Apenas era mediodía en San Juan, pero parecía que era de noche. En cuestión de segundos, el cielo azul típico del mediodía en la isla se tornó gris oscuro y comenzó a llover que parecía un
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month; there is no better time to take it upon ourselves to end the stigmatization of mental illness once and for all.